Notages: Oye... sorry I haven't updated in so long. School's a beast, and my site disappeared... Anyway, I deleted Fairy Princess if anyone was looking for it. I kinda lost interest in it.

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Harry popped onto Privet Drive first. Ron and Hermione were a bit slower. Probably still arguing, he thought.

Something was wrong with Privet Drive, especially number four. No one was outside, not one person at all. Harry went over and knocked on the Dursley's door. No one answered. It was so unusually quiet that he felt like he was being watched. Even the birds were silent. Then there were two pops behind him.

"Oh my gosh, sometimes you are so clueless!"

"What?"

"You don't get it."

"There's nothing to get!"

"Shut it!" Harry said, spinning around. He went over to them quickly. "Listen."

They were silent for a second. "Listen to what?" Ron asked.

"Exactly!"

"Were is everyone?" Hermione asked, looking around. Harry turned toward Mrs. Figg's house and walked away quickly. The silence was becoming extremely unnerving. The other two followed.

"Oh, Harry, it's you." Mrs. Figg said as she opened her door. "Come in, quickly now. I thought I heard someone out there. At least it wasn't the same someone as last time."

"What happened?" Harry asked, leading the way into her living room. The old smell of cats filled his nose.

"Death Eaters. Tons of them - just apparated right in the middle of the street - in the middle of the day!"

"Was Voldemort there?"

"No, I don't think so. But then again there was such a panic that I might not have seen him."

"A panic?" Hermione said.

"You wouldn't panic if he just popped onto your street?" Ron asked.

"Well, I would, but I mean - aren't most of the people around here muggles?"

"Most of them, yes." Mrs. Figg said. "Actually Harry and I were the only two magical people on Privet Drive - well, I'm - you know." She looked embarrassed for a moment. Harry wondered if Hermione and Ron knew that she was a squib. "Now, what's all this about Death Eaters? Why're you so interested in what happened?"

"We're - well, I'm trying to track down Voldemort. Those two won't stop following me."

"Hey!" Ron and Hermione said at almost the same time.

"Won't ever give that up, will you?" Mrs. Figg asked. "No, I guess not. I'm not really the person to talk to about that." Harry sighed. Of course not... another waste of time... "Don't be too hard on yourself, Harry. Remember that the best aurors in the country haven't found him yet."

"I'm different. He wants me to find him so that he can kill me. Make me fall into the trap rather than him coming to find me." Mrs. Figg looked slightly alarmed. Harry turned to Ron and Hermione. "Come on. We should leave."

"But you just got here." Mrs. Figg said. Harry headed for the door.

"Sorry, didn't mean to bother you for nothing."

"Harry, we should stay for a bit." Hermione said, "We don't -"

"You can stay if you want, but I need to go." Harry left quickly and walked down the street. He didn't know where he was going or why. He wanted to go somewhere far away, where he wouldn't have to worry about any of this, where everyone would leave him alone... but that place didn't exist. Not anymore...

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Harry sat in Grimmauld Place, on a couch in the living room. No one else was in the house. He sat hugging his legs and staring into the empty fireplace. Then there was a knock at the door.

"Harry!" Hermione said, nearly jumping in the door. "You shouldn't run away like that."

"You could have guessed where I was." Harry said, half annoyed.

"We haven't seen you in three weeks, after you just stormed out of Mrs. Figg's -"

"I didn't storm anywhere."

"We were worried about you -"

"You knew where I was the whole time!" Harry said, throwing his arms up. "Where else could I go? Besides, it's not like you made an effort to come find me."

"That's not what I mean!" she said, now just as angry as he was. "I know you can protect yourself, and you're not stupid. I meant that we're worried about you emotionally."

"Thanks, but I'm fine." He started to walk away from her.

"No, you're not."

"What?"

"Have you looked in a mirror lately? You look a mess."

"Thanks for the compliments. Now either shut up or leave my house." He walked away from her and into the kitchen quickly, hoping that she would give up.

"No!" Hermione followed him, and eventually jumped in front of him. "Listen to me!" She grabbed his arm, and he pulled away quickly, elbowing her in the face in the process. She let go and bent over slightly, covering her now bloody nose.

Harry stopped. Had he done that? Nice going Harry, he told himself. Mess things up a little more, why don't you? "Hermione... I -"

"It's okay." she said, wiping the blood off with a towel. "I was being annoying."

"Just a little." She smiled and laughed nasally. "Sorry. I dunno what's been wrong with me."

"I do."

"You do?"

"Sit down." she motioned to the table, and Harry sat. She sat across from him. "You need to relax about this whole Voldemort thing."

"Hermione -"

"No, I'm serious. You need to stop worrying so much about that and worrying more about yourself."

"There are more important things than me. If I don't stop him then no one else will."

"Yes, but you're not going to stop him right now, are you? So why don't you rest for a bit -"

"How do you know I wasn't about to go right before you came?" She raised her eyebrows. Harry sighed. "Do you have to know everything?"

"Yes."

He sighed again. "The truth is - I have no idea where he is. I have no idea what is going on... Not one single clue to anything. For all I know he could have already murdered Ginny and -"

"Don't say that!" Hermione interrupted. "That's what's got you in this bad mood. Don't give up, there's still a chance."

"Not a very good one."

"If you believe you can do it then you will. But cramming yourself up in this place with no human contact and not taking care of yourself isn't helping any. How do you expect to defeat him in this state? You couldn't take down a flobberworm -with magic."

"Thanks for the encouragement."

"Come on," she said, pulling him up. "Go lie down. I'll get you something to eat."

"I'm fine, really." Harry said, but he headed for the stairs anyway. He did want to lie down... as he was climbing the stairs, he suddenly felt very dizzy. He grabbed onto the wall to brace himself, but it was too late. His knees gave out, and his head his against the edge of the stairs...

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End notages: I enjoy beating the crap out of Harry... XD